quick detail spray, a cotton towel and 2 min.....
Not worth a pad change to me, but then again, my Cobra is black, so I'm quick detailing this thing every other day.....
I replaced my rear pads the other night. Fords go/no-go gauge kept indicating they were good but my stopping distance told me otherwise so I sucked up the cost and did it myself. First no-one carrys 2003 Cobra brake pads so I asked for '01 non asbestos pads and viola perfect fit. I'll upgrade my brakes later so for now I have the infamous Pep-boys raybestos pads on the rear (the red ones). Guess what......... my rear rims stay clean now...
Yup, the Raybestos pads will keep your rims cleaner for quite a while but, to me, they don't have the stopping power of the factory pads. I've had the Raybestos pads on now for a couple thousand miles and am used to the increased stopping distance now necessary to stop the beast. If you use Raybestos pads, familiarize yourself with the increased stopping distance before you do any spirited driving.
My rear pads create a LOT of brake dust. In a matter of miles, there's already a light coating of dust. And the dust carries over the rear of the car too. VERY VERY dirty.
I also have a 98 cobra... that seems to never have this dirty problem.